Within a predefined process flow, there are times when the actual movement of an item from one Reporting Point (RP) to another Reporting Point (RP) is slower than the planned movement of the item. Such a situation requires identification of the cause of the delay and implementation of corrective measures and/or focused improvement efforts so as to prevent such delays from occurring in the future.
The premise of a predefined process flow incorporates the perspective of a fully integrated logistics process and the relevant elements associated with the processing and movement of material and its related information. This perspective is exemplified with regards to production processes in the publication entitled The Goal, A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox, First Edition, 1984, Third Revised Edition, 2004, The North River Press Publishing Company. This perspective is further exemplified with regard to integrated process flows involving production and distribution as well as repair and distribution in the programs entitled “Supply Chain Technical Expert” and the “Supply Chain Deployment Expert” which are taught by the Avraham Y. Goldratt Institute, New Haven, Conn., all of which utilize the Theory of Contraints (TOC) as an overarching framework for assessing and managing process flows.
What is needed is a method and system that identifies delays in the movement of a predetermined item in a predefined process flow and provides information that allows a user to take appropriate corrective measures and/or make adjustments to particular steps of the predefined process flow.